If a combining form ends with the same vowel that begins a suffix, one of the vowels is dropped. For example, when building a term using arthr/o and -plasty, the combining vowel is retained and the resulting term is spelled arthroplasty, which refers to a surgical repair of a joint.ģ. If the suffix starts with a consonant, a combining vowel is needed to join the two word parts. For example, it is simple to combine the combining form arthr/o and suffix -itis to build the term arthritis, which means “an inflammation of the joints.” The combining vowel “ o” is not needed because the suffix starts with the vowel “ i.”Ģ. If the suffix starts with a vowel, a combining vowel is not needed to join the parts. Other types of terms that are not built from word parts include the following:ġ. Symptom: A subjective report of a disease (pain, itching).Sign: An objective finding of a disease state (e.g., fever, high blood pressure, rash).Diagnoses may be additionally described as being either acute or chronic. Chronic: Developing slowly and lasting for a long time (chron/o means “time”).Acute: A term that describes an abrupt, severe onset (acu- means “sharp”) to a disease.Sequela (suh KWELL ah): A condition that results from an injury or disease.Prognosis: Similar to diagnosis, the term prognosis can be broken down into its word parts (pro-, meaning “before” or “in front of” and -gnosis, meaning “state of knowledge”), but this does not give the true definition of the term, which is “a prediction of the probable outcome of a disease or disorder.”.Although the term is built from word parts (dia-, meaning “through,” “complete” and -gnosis, meaning “state of knowledge”), using these word parts to form the definition of diagnosis, which is “a state of complete knowledge,” really isn’t very helpful. Diagnosis: The disease or condition that is named after a healthcare professional evaluates a patient’s signs, symptoms, and history.Asthma: From the Greek term meaning “panting.” Although this word origin is understandable, the definition is a respiratory disorder characterized by recurring episodes of paroxysmal dyspnea (difficulty breathing).Cataract: From the Greek term meaning “waterfall.” In healthcare language, this means progressive opacification of the lens.You must take advantage of the many resources that this text provides if you wish to fully communicate as a healthcare professional. Special notice should be given to the pronunciation key that is provided directly under the examples: You will have to use your tongue to say them! Please remember that terminology is spoken as well as written and read. Suffixes (word parts that appear at the end of some terms) and prefixes (word parts that appear at the beginning of some terms) also are presented in this table. The table below illustrates the intersection of our everyday English language with the ancient languages of Greek and Latin and can help us to clearly see the connections. Because the tongue is instrumental in articulating spoken language, Greek and Latin equivalents appear, not surprisingly, in familiar English vocabulary. Two excellent and highly relevant examples are the combining forms (the “subjects” of most terms) gloss/o and lingu/o, which mean “tongue” in Greek and Latin, respectively. This proves to be an additional bonus for those who put forth the effort to learn hundreds of seemingly new word parts. The English language and healthcare terminology share many common origins. By applying the process of “decoding,” or recognizing the word components and their meanings and using these to define the terms, anyone will be able to interpret literally thousands of medical terms. This terminology is used by professionals in the medical field to communicate with each other. Healthcare terminology is a specialized vocabulary derived from Greek and Latin word components.
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